Victoria becomes the first state to record over 3000 Covid deaths

Victoria has become the first Australian jurisdiction to record over 3000 Covid deaths, while experiencing a rise in cases along with NSW.

Victoria has hit an unwanted Covid milestone after becoming the first Australian jurisdiction to record over 3000 deaths due to the virus.

The Victorian Department of Health reported 14 new Covid-related deaths on Thursday, bringing the total number of lives lost to the virus in the state to 3012.

Thursday’s daily death total was also the state’s highest since Saturday.

Australia has been experiencing more Covid-related deaths as a whole since borders reopened and restrictions eased, with 2022’s death toll already doubling the number of deaths in 2020 and 2021.

Nearly half of Victoria’s total Covid-related deaths have been recorded in this year alone.

The state’s vaccine economy and household contacts were just scrapped at the end of last month, but vaccine requirements for workers in certain industries remain in place.

It comes as the daily case totals in Victoria and NSW have continued to grow, with over 30,000 new infections recorded between them.

Victoria and NSW recorded over 30,000 new Covid cases between them. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

NSW Health reported 18,529 new cases on Thursday, a massive jump of nearly 6600 from the day before.

The state recorded 21 new Covid-related deaths, bringing the total number of lives lost in the state since the beginning of the pandemic to 2846.

It is also the third day in a row NSW has had over 20 people die with the virus.

NSW experienced a rise in its COVID hospitalisations with 1539, an increase of 19 from Wednesday, while its ICU numbers actually fell.

In Victoria there are 11,596 new infections, a rise of 817 from the day before.,

492 people are also in hospital, with 29 of them in the ICU.

It comes as Australia is grappling with the detection of three new Covid Omicron sub-variants across the country.

Health authorities are also warning about a possible spike in flu and Covid cases over winter now that the majority restrictions have been ended.

Originally published as Victoria becomes the first state to record over 3000 Covid deaths